Evolutionary Branches
by gothangelgirl
Summary: What if Janet went to Honduras with Daniel and Bill in Evolution? DanJan. RATED FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS AND LANGUAGE. SEASON SEVEN SPOILERS.
1. Prologue

I finally got season seven on DVD!

/evil snicker/ Oh yeah!

I used a couple of my sick days to stay home and watch it straight through . . . eyes burning . . . need sleep . . . but first . . .

Thanks to my lovely beta (who I swear isn't going to survive to her twenty-third birthday) who SPOILED Evolution for me, I was anticipating it and I must say I was pretty pleased with the results. Except for one GLARING problem. WHERE THE HELL WAS JANET?

So I'm writing this in response. And for all of you who've read my bio (Blatant self promotion warning! If you haven't read it I suggest you do.): Be warned. This is what I was talking about.

**_RATED R FOR THEMATIC ELEMENTS AND LANGUAGE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED._**

Without further ado:

Evolutionary Branches  
By Keaira  
Prologue

* * *

A light knock on Janet's door caught her attention and she looked up to see Daniel standing in her doorway. 

"Hey," she greeted him. "What can I do for you?"

"I came to pick up some supplies."

"Supplies?" she asked as she tucked a few folders into a drawer in her filing cabinet.

"Yeah. Dr. Lee and I are going to Honduras to check out what might be a temple containing the Ancient device that led to Anubis' new supersoldiers."

"Just the two of you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

She failed apparently because he frowned.

"I've been out on a lot of digs in my time, Janet. I think I can handle one little trip to Honduras without getting in trouble."

She arched an eyebrow. "I have two words for you: Osiris and Egypt."

He sighed and leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, one ankle crossed over the other that held his weight. She quickly focused her attention on the papers on her desk she was shuffling lest her thoughts wander. He really needed to give a girl some warning before he pulled a pose like that!

"I'm not chasing after Goa'uld this time. I just need some basic first aid stuff, a booster for my allergies, and maybe some calamine lotion for the bugs."

"As long as you promise to be careful . . ."

"I will. It's a simple mission. We go. We find the device. We bring it home. We're not even going to turn it on until we get it safely back inside Sam's lab and she's scanned it six ways from Sunday."

She leveled one of her patented Looks at him.

"Daniel, if there's one thing I've learned in my seven years here it's that no mission that is supposed to be simple ever is when a member of SG-1 is involved. And that's not just a comment on you, it applies to all four of you." She dropped the papers in her hand in the drawer and slid it shut, then straightened. "Although you alone have a larger medical file than the rest of the personnel on any one SG team combined."

He gave her a low level glare and she smiled.

"I know it's not always your fault, but you can't deny the pattern."

"You know, I can buy the stuff I need at a Rite-aid without all the hassle and turn in my receipts when I get back."

She laughed and made a dismissive motion to get him to clear her doorway. She could have sneaked past but her brain was already a little scrambled by his presence. She didn't need to make it worse by risking bumping him.

_It says something about me that I can remain as cool as the other side of the pillow when I'm trying to save his life or patch him up, but when he's completely healthy and he gets within five feet of me I can't hardly think straight,_ she mused as she gathered the supplies he needed.

She shook her head to clear it and then set aside the supplies.

"Have a seat and I'll be right back with the booster."

He hopped up on the bed and pulled his jacket off, rolling up his short sleeve a little more in preparation.

She returned moments later and had to consciously direct her steps to keep from faltering or tripping.

It appeared his new workout routine with Teal'c and the Colonel was going well, if his upper arms were any indication.

She managed to keep breathing and give him the injection without giving herself away, then hurried to toss the used hypo in the sharps container.

"Thanks, Janet. I'll be back in a few days."

"I'll have your bed prepped and ready to go," she teased and got one more mock glare before he left.

Taking another deep breath she turned and went back to her office. She had a few more things she wanted to tidy up before she went home.

OOOO

She was just on her way out when General Hammond found her.

"Dr. Fraiser, I'm glad I caught you. I know you've had a stressful time recently. How would you like an easy assignment?"

"I'm flattered sir, but I like working here at the SGC."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not going to transfer you, Doctor."

"That's nice to know, sir."

"I'd like you to accompany Drs. Jackson and Lee to Honduras."

"Did I do something wrong, sir?"

"No, why?"

"Well sir, I appreciate your faith in my abilities and I mean no offense towards either Dr. Lee or Daniel . . . but it's a gross misrepresentation of the truth to call any mission with Daniel easy, sir."

He chuckled again. "It's just a simple-"

"With all due respect, sir, I know. Daniel already told me when he came by for medical supplies. And as I told him, any mission involving a member of SG-1 is never simple."

He conceded the point with a nod. "Then I'll be honest with you. I'd feel better if you were there. Just to keep an eye on him. And afterwards I'll even see if we can't find you some time for some leave."

She sighed. "I suppose it'll probably make my job easier in the end if I'm there to patch him up right away instead of having to deal with old wounds that weren't properly treated the first time."

"I won't make it an order."

"You don't have to," she said with a resigned smile. "When do we leave?"

"Your flight leaves at 0800 hours. You'll need to be ready for a briefing at 0630."

"I'll be ready to go by then. But if I'm going to spend a week hiking through the Honduran jungles I want to get a good night's sleep and a hot shower while I still can. Good night, sir."

"Good night, Dr. Fraiser."

She started to turn back towards the elevator but stopped and turned back. "And sir?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Can you tell Daniel it was your idea, not mine?"

He smiled. "I'll make sure he knows."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

Sooooooo . . . Howdja like it? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Reviwes keep the Muse happy and that is good for all of us, trust me. 

Thanks for reading!

"The splendor of the rose and the whitness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its lovliness." -Therese of Lisieux

Keaira


	2. Looks Can Be Deceiving

I forgot something. Sorry!

Disclaimer: If I owned them things would be VERY different. Nuff said.

This plot has been changed from its original format (and I'm not talking about the changes I made from the episodes). It has been edited for publictionhere (I'm trying to figure out where I can post this in its entirety but I'm still looking. Any ideas?)

Evolutionary Branches  
By Keaira  
Chapter1- Looks Can Be Deceiving

* * *

The flight was uneventful, the airports on both ends were busy but not crowded, and the weather was warmer than Colorado which wasn't so bad this time of year. The humidity was a little high, but not too much to deal with. 

They got their bags, passed through customs, and got a ride to the little village outside of Tegucigalpa with little trouble.

"I shouldn't have had that last diet Coke on the plane," Janet said as they walked through the village. "How do you ask for a bathroom again?"

Daniel smiled and stopped by a fruit seller's stall where a young woman was setting out more of her wares.

He rattled something off in fluent Spanish and she answered him in a rapid response Janet didn't quite catch.

"Gracias, Señorita," he said and turned to point to a small restaurant. "In the back there," he told Janet. "We'll be just down the street at that café," he said and pointed to the one.

"I'll catch up in a few minutes," she said and went into the café where he'd pointed out the bathroom.

Daniel made watched her for a second to make sure she didn't get lost and then turned and continued on to where they were supposed to meet their guide, Bill at his side.

———

Janet showed up a few minutes later just as the three men were standing and looked at the newcomer.

"Who's this?" she asked.

"This is Rogelio Duran," Daniel said. "Our guide. Rogelio, this is Dr. Janet Fraiser."

"Another archaeologist?" he asked.

"No," she said with a smile as they shook hands. "I'm the expedition's medical doctor."

"Ah. To patch up bumps and bruises. I must confess, with a doctor as pretty as you, I might not be able to keep my eyes on the path in front of me. But then if I get injured you will tend me, no? Perhaps that will not be so bad."

She smiled at his attempts to charm her. Unfortunately for him, she was quite used to men trying to charm her—usually in the form of Colonel O'Neill trying to get out of a shot.

"Well I'm no miracle worker. And I'm pretty sure if we have to carry you out we get to deduct part of your fee."

"Then again, if I walk in front of you perhaps I can keep my attention on the path."

"That sounds like a good idea," Janet agreed.

With that they set out, Daniel meeting Janet's eyes and giving her a sly smile and a wink.

Fortunately he then walked ahead so she didn't have to worry about him seeing her suddenly miss her footing and almost trip.

"You okay, Dr. Fraiser?" Bill asked as he caught her arm and stopped her from falling flat on her face.

"Fine. I'm just fine," she said quickly and hurried off after Daniel and Rogelio.

Bill shook his head and smiled slightly as he brought up the rear.

None of them saw the figure that watched them from a nearby table, his sharp eyes having caught both Daniel's wink and Janet's accompanying stumble, then lingering on Janet for a few moments longer than the others.

———

The hiked for several hours before they even got close to the spot Daniel had marked on the map. As they came into view of several waterfalls cascading into a pool below, Janet stopped for a moment to admire it and the other three paused as well.

"Sorry," she said when she realized they were all waiting on her.

Daniel smiled and shrugged. "It's okay. We're almost there. We can stop for a few minutes if you want."

"No, it's okay. Let's go."

Daniel shrugged again and they continued on.

———

"According to the map we're in the right place, but . . ." Bill trailed off as he continued up the slope.

Daniel consulted his GPS again and then looked around. "This makes no sense."

Rogelio was third but he remained silent for the moment.

Janet was last up the slope and she looked around, arching an eyebrow and taking a swig from her canteen. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there usually some sort of building—generally one made of stone or something—at the site of a temple?"

Daniel shot her a Look but she just returned it along with a smile and he turned back to looking for the temple.

"The legend of the fountain of youth says that all nearby water flows towards it," he said and consulted the map again.

"Well how's that possible?" Bill asked and started to let his backpack down.

"Well, maybe the device has special properties," Daniel replied, then continued. "Or maybe it's just superstition . . ."

Janet let her backpack down and took off her hat, wiping at her forehead before replacing the floppy boonie. It seemed the walking was over for now and this wasn't really her deal so she found a spot to sit next to a tree and lowered herself down.

"Or maybe it means the water from that waterfall back there flows in the direction of the temple," Daniel suggested, still thinking aloud.

"Well it should be right here," Bill said, "but uh . . ."

"Nobody ever listens to me," Rogelio complained. "I tell them there are no temples out here, but what do they do? They come out here anyway. Now the north, the north has roads. We could drive to any temple we want but instead we're out here _walking_ through this jungle."

Janet was about to remind their guide that he was getting paid for his knowledge of the area, not his complaints, but Daniel beat her to it. "Yeah, okay, um. Let's spread out. Look for a . . . temple. In lieu of that look for a . . . totem or marker of some sort. Anything that might tell us where to go from here."

Janet levered herself up, resigning herself to pulling a little extra duty as scout.

Bill and Rogelio just stared at him and he finally turned to look at them. "Go," he said, letting his impatience with their attitude show through finally. Janet suppressed a smile and started looking around her tree for anything that looked . . . old.

She jerked back around at the sound of Bill falling through something. The spot where he'd stood was empty, no sign of the older archaeologist anywhere.

"Dr. Lee?" she called and started forward, her eyes on the ground for whatever he'd fallen into lest she follow him down.

"Found it," he shouted and her eyes moved to the darker spot in the middle of several ferns. She moved closer and looked down.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm not hurt, just embarrassed," he assured her.

Daniel and Rogelio came up next to her and peered down as well.

"Well, it's not exactly the kind of temple I expected," Daniel allowed. "But it's close enough I guess. I'm going down."

"Be careful," Janet said as he sat on the edge of the hole and gripped the opposite edge, swinging down until he could drop the last few feet.

"You okay?" he asked Bill.

"Yeah, I'm fine. At least you were right about there being something here," he added, shining his flashlight down the sole passage leading off of the anteroom.

"Listen, we're gonna go, uh, look around," Daniel said as he pulled out his flashlight. "Stay put."

"You got it, Señor," Rogelio said, waving his radio to show he'd be in contact.

"We'll be here," Janet said.

Daniel nodded and then led the way into the passage.

They were only gone a few minutes when Rogelio smiled at her. "So, Dr. Frasier. How did a lovely medical doctor like you get involved in this expedition?"

"Dr. Jackson and Dr. Lee and I work together back in the States," she said hoping that the artifact was sitting out on a pedestal with a nice inscription in a language Daniel knew by heart to make it easy to identify. She didn't hold out much hope, but she clung tightly to what little bit she had.

He waited a few minutes and then asked, "So, is there a Mr. Fraiser?"

She grabbed her radio and keyed it. "Daniel? Found anything yet?"

"We're here," Daniel replied after a moment. "We found a chamber . . . It's gonna be a while. Is there something wrong?"

She felt her hopes sink and managed a small smile at the grin Rogelio flashed her. "No, nothing at all. Take your time."

Daniel blinked at the resignation in her voice.

"Janet? Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said in a falsely bright voice. "Everything's fine."

"You sure?"

She glanced at Rogelio again and said, "I'm sure. I just . . . forgot to bring a book to read while we're waiting."

"Oh. Okay. We'll, uh, try to hurry then. I guess."

He released the button and then shook his head to clear it as he started looking for anything that might solve the puzzle before him.

Rogelio's voice came over the radio and distracted him once more. "Take your time, Señor."

"Should we have left her alone with him?" Bill asked.

"Janet can take care of herself," Daniel said. "I just hope the artifact is either easy to find or small and light."

"Why?"

"Because we'll probably end up carrying our guide back if this takes too long."

———

Janet had managed to mostly deflect Rogelio's questions by doing an inventory of her medical pack but she'd counted everything twice and put it away as slowly as she could.

She'd taken a short walk around the clearing and was looking at the tree she'd been sitting under before when the ground started to shake and a loud rumble issued from the 'temple' where Daniel and Bill had disappeared.

Now she ran back over, trying not to trip as the ground continued to vibrate.

"Dr. Jackson, can you hear me?" Rogelio called over the radio.

"What's going on?" she asked as a particularly violent bucking of the ground caused her to miss her step and take a tumble. She winced as her foot got caught under her and her ankle twinged. Just what she needed, she thought. A twisted ankle. Daniel was going to give her merry hell over this.

If he was okay.

She shook her head to clear it. Daniel had suffered far worse than this. He'd probably just climb out dusty as hell and sheepishly admit to knocking over a statue or something.

"Dr. Jackson, Dr. Lee. Can you hear me?" Rogelio asked over the radio as she shifted and checked out her ankle. A small sprain, she decided. Nothing serious. Maybe an ace bandage and some aspirin-

"Can you hear me!"

Her head came up in time to see Rogelio leaning over the hole and yelling into it, foregoing the radio.

She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing when she sensed someone standing next to her and turned to see the barrel of a rifle just inches from her nose.

Her eyes traveled up the gun to the man holding it and she froze.

"Buenos dias, Señora."

The ground suddenly stopped shaking and she wanted to look over and see what was going on, but didn't dare risk taking her eyes off the newcomers, all four of them armed.

There was a splash and the sound of someone gasping for air, then more sounds of splashing and struggling.

"Are you okay? I thought you were dead for sure. What happened, Señor?"

She was grateful to hear Daniel's voice, and that he sounded unhurt so far, even if his words were less than reassuring.

"We triggered some sort of trap."

"I think I know why those passageways are so narrow," Bill added. "It's to prevent people from escaping alive."

"You're good," Daniel replied with wry humor.

"What have you found?" Rogelio asked.

Daniel didn't answer and a moment later Janet knew they'd discovered the same thing she had.

"I'm not going to rob you, Señor," Rogelio said with a laugh. Then his tone changed drastically. "Hold still," he warned. "Madre de Dios," he breathed and the bald man with his rifle on Janet smiled in a way that left a cold feeling in her stomach.

So much for an easy mission.

Sometimes she hated being right.

* * *

Ooh! The plot thickens! Until next time . . . 

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you." - Anonymous

Keaira


	3. Detour

**feb04**: I agree wholeheartedly about killing her. As Waves would say: They're razzafrazzin&! poopyheads! And unfortunately this is not going to be a happy story for Janet. Very angsty. Definitely a Hurt/Comfort classification. (Which this site doesn't have. Retards.) But don't let that scare you off. After all, it is a Dan/Jan story and that means there will be some goodness in it for her.  
**Terreis**:I can't believe you like my story! I'm so flattered! I LOVE your stuff! (Um . . . not that I've reviewed it really, but . . . um . . . yeah. Work sucks. Promotions REALLY suck.) I had a LOT of trouble concentrating on writing after that image of him standing like that popped into my head. -bg- I was originally very much against Dan/Jan until I watched Rite of Passage with my beta and she very patiently explained my stupidity. (For several HOURS. At the TOP OF HER LUNGS. And she was THROWING things. Needless to say, she convinced me.) As to the question of fresh lemons, they will very gratefully drink anything that isn't produced by throwing something dead in it and allowing it to stew for several years. (Which is how the water in our building tastes. Come to think of it . . . Stu from the third floor never did come back from going down to investiagte the sound we heard in the basement . . . Hmmm . . .) But yes, I think they prefer fresh lemons.  
**Perfect Darkness**: Janet will most definitely not be going to 666 to die. (And am I the only one who noticed that oh-so-interesting designation?) In fact, I'm pretty certain no one will, but that might change.  
**rankokun alpha**: Thanks for your reviews! I do try to keep the grammar and syntax as correct as possible. One of my biggest pet peeves is that someone has a great story idea and I can't read it because of how badly it's written grammatically. As to paranioa and being watched . . . I've said all I can say . . .

Evolutionary Branches  
By Keaira  
Chapter 2 -Detour

* * *

Her hands zip-tied in front of her, a fistful of Daniel's tank top her only link to anything else with the blindfold cutting off her sight, she stumbled along the path and tried not to wince as her ankle protested her uncertain steps. 

She was now torn between wishing she'd refused the General's request and wishing she'd saved herself all the trouble and just flat out denied Daniel a mission ready status after his last jaunt off world.

"Listen, if this is some sort of turf thing, we're not aware of, we're, uh, we're sorry," Daniel said.

She winced from both the pain in her ankle and from listening to Daniel try to talk them out of this. She appreciated his efforts, but hoped it didn't end up getting him killed.

"Oh no, Señor. Please, por favor, don't speak."

"No, I'm just saying that whoever you guys think we are . . . we're not."

"Who do I think you are?" the leader asked.

"I don't know . . . We're, uh, we're scientists . . . archaeologists, as a matter of fact."

_Oh Daniel, stop talking,_ she plead, wishing she cold talk to him telepathically. _It's not working._

"I'm just saying that, you know, if this is a kidnapping—which I'm assuming that it is—then you should know that we're not worth anything."

Behind her blindfold Janet blinked.

_We're not worth anything?_ In another situation she might be insulted but at the moment her thoughts were elsewhere._ Does he honestly think that's going to work?_

Still she held her breath anticipating the response.

"Trust me, gringo," their captor responded. "Everything's worth something to somebody."

She released the breath and clutched tighter at Daniel's shirt as she stumbled. He slowed just a bit and she pushed herself up again using his back as leverage.

Then someone up at the front stumbled and went down and Bill immediately started in. "I tripped. I'm sorry. I can't see anything."

The sudden sounds of footsteps moving away from near where she assumed Rogelio to be suggested he was trying to make a break for it. She silently wished him luck even as her cynical side said he was a dead man for the attempt.

Behind her the leader of their little group called a name and a moment later a gunshot broke the air, causing her to gasp and both her and Daniel to duck instinctively.

She ended up pitching forward and falling against Daniel, but he just half turned and steadied her as best he could.

"Are you all right?" he asked quickly in a soft voice as she tried to right herself.

"I'm okay."

Raising his voice to a normal level he asked, "What just happened?"

"Your guide," the leader explained with no remorse whatsoever in his voice, "tried to run. What can you do?"

A hand under her arm brought her back up to standing, but she jerked when it strayed to brush against her breast.

"Hey!" she protested.

"What is it?" Daniel asked, half turning.

"It is nothing," the leader said in a rather final tone that suggested he didn't approve of the action, but he wasn't going to call the man on it.

She gripped Daniel's shirt again and resisted the urge to lash out at anyone stupid enough to get in her way.

But she didn't want to end up like Rogelio so she pushed down the urge and settled for thinking of all the things she would like to do to the men to repay them for this show of hospitality.

"Maybe now we all stay on the path, eh muchachos? After you," he said and Daniel stumbled forward, takign Janet with him. "Vaminos," he ordered, taking up his position right behind her once more.

———

The heat of the sun and a lightening of her blindfold suggested they'd left the forest and after a few more minutes the leader of their captors whistled and started barking orders. She wondered where they were until they were stopped and a hand suddenly tugged at her blindfold, pulling it down around her neck.

She blinked in the bright light and looked around at the makeshift camp set up before them.

Several hulking wrecks including a car and what appeared to be a helicopter dotted the field, and scrap planking—grey with the effects of weather—formed a few scattered shacks.

They were led towards one, more men coming to gather around them and get a look at the newest arrivals into camp.

First, Daniel, then Bill, and lastly Janet were roughly shoved into the flimsy prison, their hands still bound.

Rolling over to get a better look at the still open door and the men it framed Janet blinked against the light as Daniel tried once more to talk their way free.

"Look, I don't know what you expect, but no one's going to pay anything for us. We're not worth anything."

"That is unfortunate for you," the ringleader said without an ounce of sympathy. "Because if no one pays, you all die."

With that last dire threat the door was shut and they were left to ponder their fate.

———

It was some time later that footsteps approached them and the door was opened. A man darted in to set down a dented pan of brown water and a stool and then backed away to let his leader past.

"I know it's not much," he said after a moment to survey the three of them. "But we do what we can." He turned and accepted a knife from one of his men and then stepped forward.

Janet felt her heart start pounding in her chest but he just cut the zip-ties binding their hands free and stepped back as they massaged the slightly raw skin.

Then he perched on the edge of the stool, the knife still in his hands.

"So, here's my proposal for you: I will ask questions, you give me answers. I believe you, you get more water. Food. Maybe even a blanket at night. Okay?"

Daniel just stared at him with one eye, the other covered by his bandana held to his face. Bill didn't seem to know quite what to do and Janet had no idea herself so she let Daniel take the lead and followed his example in staying silent.

"Okay. Who do you work for?"

"I told you, we're archaeologists."

"All of you?" he said, looking pointedly at Janet. She returned the gaze without flinching.

"She's our medic."

"Ah. Maybe I was not so clear. If I don't believe you, things get worse for you. Much worse."

Brazenly Daniel replied, "You kill us, you get nothing."

The man smiled briefly and Janet felt a chill course down her spine.

"Maybe I kill one of you to get your government's attention." He let that hang and Janet gripped her hands in her lap to keep them from giving her away.

"Who lives, who dies . . . that's up to you, my friend."

"Okay," Daniel said, obviously tired of being toyed with. "You, uh, you listen to me. What you're doing now is a big mistake. See, people—very powerful people—are going to come for us and uh, well let's just say that by . . . by letting us go now you're going to save yourself a _lot_ of trouble."

Their captor nodded in understanding.

"Okay."

She felt a momentary surge of hope and disbelief. It couldn't be that easy, could it?

"We'll do it the hard way," he finished and stood.

Nope. Apparently not.

He started to walk away, then turned back, using his knife to make his, ahem, point.

"Understand this. I will not hesitate to kill you all. Make an example of you for your government so that next time they will take us seriously." He rested one hand on the door frame.

"You should know. Many prisoners talk as you do. 'My friends will come and save me.' It gives them hope." He sneered at that very idea and walked away, his men shutting the door behind him.

There was a moment of silence before both she and Bill turned to Daniel—he being the subject matter expert in this kind of thing. He just set his jaw and then said softly, "Many prisoners don't have one over-protective Colonel waiting for them. Jack will hunt us down if only to kick my ass for getting in this mess."

Janet couldn't help the small smile at that bit of humor, though Bill didn't seem to find it as funny, his frown deepening.

"Would it be wrong now to say I told you so?" she asked, her eyes on the door in front of her. After a moment she turned to look at him and smiled wider at the mock glare he was giving her.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, it would." He looked at the door and added after a moment, "Save it for the debriefing. It's not just me who needs to hear it. General Hammond made it quite clear you came under protest."

"I didn't protest," she clarified. "I was upset at his attempts to mislead me by calling it an easy assignment. I came willingly, I just wanted to make sure everyone understood I knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park . . . or jungle as the case may be."

"Yeah, well, if it makes you feel any better, I wish now I'd insisted on bringing at least Jack and Teal'c—if not a whole battalion of Marines."

"Not really," she admitted. "But thanks for trying."

He half laughed as he let his eyes drift shut. "No problem."

Bill goggled at them both.

"How can you be so calm about this?" he finally demanded.

Both of them turned to look at him, then Daniel resumed his previous position.

"Well, getting upset isn't going to help anything. I—unfortunately—have experience in this kind of thing and staying calm and not letting the other guys see how badly it's shaken you is half the battle. They're expecting you to be scared. They can manipulate that fear and use it to break you. Don't make their job any easier."

Janet's advice was from a slightly different, but still valid, point of view. "In my experience, the key to standing up to someone who has more power than you or is bigger than you or has some advantage over you is to showing them that their advantage just isn't good enough. If you show them that you don't care what secret weapon they've got then you've just leveled the playing field and made their job that much harder. Most bullies won't press the issue. They rely on your unwillingness to fight."

"You make it sound so easy," he said, with more than a touch of disbelief.

"After my thirty-plus years of being less than five and a half feet tall in a world full of people much taller than me, it is easy. But you seem like a fast learner. Just remember that his advantage is that you agree he _has_ an advantage."

"You'll be fine, Bill," Daniel said. "All we have to do is survive a couple of days. Knowing Jack his 'Daniel in Danger' radar is already going haywire. He'll be here before you know it."

With that the conversation died out and everyone retreated to their own thoughts.

Janet's were mostly repeating to herself what Daniel had said.

There would be people looking for them and help would be here before they knew it.

She just had to hold on.

* * *

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Until next time . . . 

"Hurting you is the last thing I want to do. But it's still on the list . . ." - Anonymous

Keaira


	4. Hard Questions, Harder Answers

No your eyes aren't deceiving you. It actually _is_ a new chapter. And I have even better news! It's done! All that's left is for it to be betaed (thanks Caralina!) and posted. That will take time, but hopefully updates will be more regular now.

WARNING: This is where it starts to get dark. Read carefully.

Evolutionary Branches  
by Keaira

* * *

A mere half hour was all they had to try and shore their hopes with thoughts of a rescue. 

Then the door was opened and the guards entered, heading straight for Daniel.

He was pulled to his feet and out the door before Janet and Bill had a chance to even protest.

———

Another half hour and they returned Daniel and took Bill.

Janet's eyes carefully scrutinized him, but she saw no indications that they'd harmed him in any way.

He saw the concern as he sat next to her again and managed a half smile.

"I'm fine. They just asked questions."

She switched to searching his eyes, but seemed to believe him because she relaxed slightly. Resettling herself back against the wall she let her eyes close.

"What do they want to know?"

"Who we are. Why we're here. What the device is." He shrugged. "Nothing surprising. It doesn't seem like they were expecting us at least."

She nodded and silence fell again.

It held until they came back for Janet.

Obviously expecting more resistance, all the rebels but the one who came to grab Janet's arm kept their guns on Daniel and Bill.

Daniel tensed, but didn't try to stop them. It would have been pointless and it wouldn't help her if he got killed.

All he could do was pray that they continued with their questions and held off on anything more extreme.

———

Janet watched them shove Bill in and knew it was her turn.

She stood, knowing that resistance right then wasn't going to serve any useful purpose and would likely just piss their captors off at this point.

She did glare at the man who grabbed her arm roughly and yanked but for her part didn't resist the tug towards the door. She walked forward of her own accord, but her face was set in an expression of mulish determination.

If they thought she was going to be an easy mark they had another think coming.

Head held high she walked out and prayed her shaking knees wouldn't give her away.

———

She was led across camp to a small shack and then pushed through the door. She paused to glare indignantly at the man who'd held onto her arm the whole way, then shook herself and turned to face Raphael.

He gestured at the chair, but she stood her ground. He already towered over her when they were both standing. No need to emphasize that difference.

He looked her in the eye and noted her determination, but dismissed it out of hand. Not that she was surprised. Being ignored or discounted because of her petite size was the story of her life. Or perhaps she wasn't as adept at concealing her fear as she thought.

Either way he forged ahead without preamble.

"Why did you come here?"

She considered answering his question but thought better of it. If Daniel had told him he already knew; if he hadn't then she wouldn't be the one to betray them.

"Who do you work for? Your government?"

He continued for at least half an hour. None of the questions surprised her.

She fixed her gaze on a point on the wall and bored a hole through it. With the exception of her state of dress and the obvious difference in personnel and location, she felt very much like she was back at the academy being questioned on another of the pranks she had been involved in.

She'd never given in then either and she intended to hold to her spotless record.

She wasn't even listening to the questions now and blinked in surprise when she realized they'd stopped.

Her lack of attention hadn't gone unnoticed and Raphael was suddenly in front of her, close enough for her to realize that toothpaste was a rare commodity indeed here in the jungles of Honduras.

Not to mention soap and deodorant . . . and flea powder . . .

"You will not answer my questions now. But I wonder . . . what is your price?"

She couldn't resist looking up at him and resisted the urge to shudder at the intent look in his eyes. His hand came up to touch her cheek and she finally broke, flinching away from his hand and taking a step back. She hit the chair that had been moved to just behind her and sat abruptly.

Just as she'd imagined he loomed over her. She tried to scoot back, but a hand on the back of her chair kept her in place.

He leaned down and crowded her so she reflexively pressed back against the chair.

"Perhaps I have not made myself clear," he said in a low voice, his eyes skimming over her features before returning to her. "Cooperating can be very rewarding . . . "

She put her hands up and pressed on his chest, twisting to the side to try and escape, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against him as he straightened.

Struggling for all she was worth, she tried to get her hands on some part of him she could cause injury to, but he had her arms pinned.

He shook her roughly and she stopped fighting momentarily.

"My rewards are great and I give them quickly . . . my punishments are greater and faster."

That said he released her to fall to the ground.

She landed on her backside and winced at the sharp pain it caused, but didn't stop glaring at the man standing over her.

He spat on the ground next to her and then turned away.

"Return her to her friends," he ordered.

The same man as before grabbed her arm and hauled her up, then dragged her out the door before she had a chance to come up with a response for her treatment.

Hiding her trembling nerves and a sudden sensation of vulnerability behind anger, she snarled at her escort and yanked her arm free, then marched back to the shack forcing them to keep up with her.

———

It was an hour later when approaching footsteps warned of the return of their captors.

Daniel glanced at Janet who was still silently glaring at the wall as she had been since her return.

He'd thought of asking if she was okay, but she didn't have any obvious indications of injury, just a black expression that said she was royally pissed and normally meant she was considering ordering extra tests . . . _invasive_ tests that required _large_ needles.

He'd decided to let her cool down before bothering her.

The door opened and her jaw clenched as her eyes narrowed slightly, but otherwise she didn't seem to register the appearance of the man backlit by the fading sunlight as the source inched closer to the horizon.

"You will be happy to know that I have informed your government that they can get you and you back by paying my ransom," he said nodding at Daniel and Bill. "But I am not a patient man. They have only three days."

"And me?" Janet asked before she could think better of it. Her voice trembled, but Daniel wasn't sure if it was fear or repressed fury. Right now he could easily believe either.

Raphael's eyes went to her and she finally looked up to meet them.

There wasn't an ounce of feeling in them as he calmly said, "You are too valuable to me to give up. You are already dead to them. But you may yet help your compadres. And you may prove useful. Tomorrow I will see how useful."

"I won't stay here to be your doctor. Without supplies I can't really do that much anyway," she said coldly.

He leered and she couldn't help but look away. Daniel saw now her anger was only a facade to hide her fear as the mask she wore flickered and gave him a glimpse of what was underneath. Her tormentor laughed cruelly and she winced.

"That was not the use I was talking about. But do not worry. If you please me I will be nicer to your friends. And if you tell me what I wish to know, I may even let them go."

She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands wrapped around her stomach in the vain hope of keeping herself from throwing up—or dry heaving anyway.

Daniel resisted the urge to attack the man before him and the effort left him rigid with tension, his voice was low with fury when he spoke.

"You listen to me, you son of a bitch. If you even think of touching her-"

Raphael ignored him as he gave orders for Bill to be brought out. Once the archaeologist and his escorts had cleared the doorway, it was shut, leaving them alone once more.

———

"Janet-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Daniel," she said through gritted teeth.

She didn't even want to _think_ about it, but her thoughts refused to stay wherever she sent them to distract herself.

At least within her head they remained nebulous and insubstantial. Voicing them aloud would give them power, make them more real.

No, silence was definitely better right now.

Thankfully Daniel respected her wishes and remained silent.

———

It was almost dark when their captor returned. He waited in the open doorway for a few moments before taking a couple of steps inside the small hut.

"Now that you have had time to think about my offer and to appreciate your situation, maybe we can move on?"

Neither of them said anything and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I have questions. You have answers. But you don't want to share them. Perhaps I can offer an incentive?"

He turned and jerked his head at one of the men just outside the hut. Something was handed to him and he took it and held it up.

It was a blanket in the loosest sense of the word. A scrap of cloth no bigger than a beach towel and sporting a few holes, it was, however, more than the tank tops and pants they each now possessed. And it was already getting a little chilly compared to the heat of the day.

Janet suppressed a shiver and kept her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her. She was determined to ignore them for as long as possible. According to Raphael she was already dead anyway. They wouldn't get anything from her.

The 'blanket' was tossed at them and landed on her feet but she ignored it as well, and continued wishing they'd just go away.

Since he'd last been here her fury had dissolved into quivering terror. Her muscles were starting to ache with the effort of not showing how shaken she was.

"Where's our friend?" Daniel asked.

"Do not worry. He is not dead. But he has been moved to somewhere more comfortable. You may join him if you answer some of my questions."

He let that hang for a few moments but neither Daniel nor Janet took the bait.

Raphael shrugged. "But if you are comfortable here then I will not trouble my men to move you." Janet felt his gaze land on her and resisted the urge to shudder once more.

"Until tomorrow, señorita," he said and left.

———

They both remained completely still for the first few minutes after the door was shut.

Then Daniel silently shifted to his knees and started moving around the small hut, inspecting the walls, testing how well the boards were secured in place. He'd done it earlier that afternoon, but hadn't found anything to work with that the guard stationed right outside wouldn't hear.

"You might as well give up, Daniel," she said after watching him work his way around a quarter of the hut, her voice weary with resignation and trembling with a mix of emotions she didn't bother to sort out.

"Why?" he asked as he continued.

"Because they'll be expecting us to try and escape tonight. Besides, we don't know where Bill is-"

"Bill and I aren't leaving anyway."

She frowned. "Then why-"

"You on the other hand, are going to get out of here and run as fast as you can and as far as you can until you find some civilization."

Her initial reaction was to agree and help him look for an escape route, but she quashed it. She was scared witless but she wasn't a coward that would desert her friends at the first sign of personal danger.

"Daniel, I'm not leaving without you and Bill."

"Dammit, Janet!" he swore and whirled around. "You're not staying here so he can-" He stopped cold and they just stared at each other in the fading light.

The staring contest was broken when they both looked at the door and froze at the sound of boots crunching on dry grass. It wasn't anyone coming to the door though, just an addition to the guards around the hut.

Once they'd moved into position and stopped, Daniel sighed, his head dropping in defeat.

Janet felt little vindication in being right. They weren't about to let her escape.

Coming back to sit by her side—close enough that they could spread the small scrap of cloth they had over the both of them and share a little body heat—Daniel spoke softly.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for."

He snorted in derision.

"Nothing besides getting you into this mess. Nothing besides deciding that this was my chance to prove my independence to Jack and everyone else by going into a known war zone with only two archaeologists and a doctor."

"I'm not just a doctor. I'm also an Air Force officer, Daniel."

"Exactly! And _none_ of us brought weapons!"

"We would have had to declare it and it would have probably delayed us in getting here. We couldn't afford to waste that kind of time. You know as well as I do how important it is that we get this device back as soon as possible. And they outnumbered us back at the temple site. It would have only delivered more weapons into their hands and made them more suspicious of our motives."

"But I could have at least brought Teal'c along."

Janet didn't have an argument for that one so she just ignored it.

"Daniel, this isn't helping us. What's done is done. All we can do now is try and survive until Colonel O'Neill gets here. If Raphael has already notified the government that he has you, then you know he'll find out soon if he doesn't already know. And just like he always does he'll come racing to the rescue, guns ablazing."

Daniel sighed again. "I know. I just wish he didn't always have to come save me. It's embarrassing. I'm like the team 'Damsel in Distress'."

That got a chuckle out of Janet. She shifted to put an arm around him and gave him a sideways hug. "It's not an easy job but somebody has to do it."

She couldn't see it in the darkness that had fallen, but she knew he was frowning by his tone of voice. "You're supposed to deny it."

"Sorry," she said without an ounce of sincerity. "I can't. Your medical file speaks for itself."

"Why thank you for that rousing show of support," he added sarcastically, but he took heart from her attempts at humor.

He wanted to ask what had happened earlier, but chickened out at the last second.

"I'm sorry," he said again. He didn't know whether it was for his lack of courage or getting her in this mess . . . or for the threat that lay in tomorrow's dawn.

She didn't say anything and he tried to think about what to say. Then she shivered, the tremors wracking her whole body and causing her breath to rattle as she drew it in.

Silence fell then and grew heavy and after a few moments he said—without a thought—softly, "Thinking about it won't help."

"I know," she replied just as softly. Then, with imminent tears evident in her voice, "I can't help it."

"Let's talk about something else."

"What?"

"How about . . . oh, I don't know . . . Did you always want to be in the Air Force?"

She swallowed audibly and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. It almost helped.

"No. But I did always want to be a doctor."

They talked about everything and nothing. There were occasional pauses, but they never lasted long. One or the other would pick a new topic, not caring how random it might be, and they'd start again.

It was during one of these pauses that she gathered her courage and spoke.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Can- Can I ask a very big favor of you?"

"Anything," he said immediately. "What did you need?"

She didn't answer right away and he could hear her breathing had quickened. Under his arm she was suddenly tense and he frowned.

What could she possibly want to ask that would be so difficult? He'd do anything he could for her right now—unless it was kill her, but he had a feeling that wasn't it.

Finally, in a voice so quiet she barely heard it she asked, "Would you make love to me?"

In that moment he was most grateful for the lack of any light by which to see. He didn't want the raw surprise on his face to be seen by her after such a question and misinterpreted. And he was in no condition to be acting in any way other than he truly felt.

He had to save that for Raphael.

_That_ was the last request he'd expected of her. He would have guessed a plea to kill her before that. Especially considering what their captors had promised was in store for her tomorrow.

"I- I'll understand completely if you say no. Don't worry about it. Forget I ever asked."

"Why?"

It wasn't the question he meant to ask, but now that it was out he was glad. He desperately needed to know the answer.

Again she hesitated and when she spoke her voice was shaky and almost hoarse.

"I was a virgin when I married my husband. I was raised with traditional ideas about having sex before marriage and I stuck by my morals even when my fiancé wanted more. He gave me every reason he could think of. We'd be married soon. What difference did one little certificate make? We'd already made the pledges of love in our hearts, why did we need a preacher to ask us aloud? He tried everything. I held firm though and despite his best efforts I went to bed a virgin on our wedding night. In fact, he stopped asking about a month beforehand and I figured he'd finally decided to respect my wishes.

"It wasn't until almost two years later that I found out the truth. He'd told Carol Ann, my best friend and maid of honor, about my stubborn refusal to sleep with him and she commiserated with him over a bottle of wine. They spent that night together and many more after that. Even after he married me he kept seeing her. It was two days after she announced she was pregnant—with no man in her life to account for it—that I found out who the father was. Brent told me as he handed me the divorce papers. I was devastated. I didn't understand at first. Then I realized I should have seen it coming.

"After the huge deal he made before our wedding about having sex, it didn't seem that important to him after the honeymoon. We were intimate, but except with a rare few occasions _I_ was the one who initiated it. And more than once he turned me down. I finally figured it out as I watched them leave on their honeymoon. He'd found someone else to fulfill that need in his life. The only reason he didn't break it off before the wedding was that he didn't want to upset my father. But after two years of pretending, I guess the baby with Carol Ann changed things and he finally gave up and called it quits."

She shifted so she sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them.

"Tomorrow—barring a miracle—I'll have sex again for the first time since Brent left me. The fact that he did it out of a sense of obligation and because it was a . . . bonus for him taints my recollections. Tomorrow . . . it won't be making love. It will be rape. And I can't change that. Not without getting you or me killed. But . . ." She swallowed and hugged her knees tighter. "I know it can be a good thing. It was a wonderful thing with Brent before I knew about . . ."

She laughed, but it was a brittle sound completely lacking humor.

"It's silly, I know but . . . I just don't want every sexual experience in my life to be a bad thing. And . . ." She sucked in a breath. "This might be the last chance I have to change that."

Having bared her soul, she fell silent and dropped her head to rest on her knees, just waiting for his response, whatever it may be.

Her courage had failed her at the end so she couldn't even confess how she'd fallen in love with him over the last few years of working together. But she wouldn't retract her request. She clamped her jaw shut to keep from doing so when the silence stretched out.

Daniel, for his part, was still speechless with shock. He'd known she had been married and was now divorced but had never heard details.

Now he felt anger at her idiot of an ex-husband on her behalf. He had no idea what he'd given up, the stupid bastard. And he probably had no idea how badly he'd hurt such a wonderful woman who had never done anything to deserve such treatment.

He also felt terror for her, for what tomorrow would bring, for what her suddenly short future seemed to hold. She didn't deserve any of it either.

A sudden need to protect her swelled in him, but it was immediately met by a wall of frustration at being powerless to do so.

He could fight them taking her tomorrow. But he would be killed and then she would be alone and at the mercy of these men. He certainly didn't want that.

But could he live with himself if he didn't at least try?

They could try to escape but since making his announcement of her fate, the extra guards posted to ensure they wouldn't succeed were a significant hurdle. They weren't so close that they could be able to hear what was happening inside the small shack, but close enough to make it impossible to sneak past them without an external distraction and they couldn't count on that.

He was suddenly aware of her pulling away from him and standing but he took her wrist and stopped her.

She turned towards him and he could almost see the confused look on her face.

"Daniel?"

"If you're sure this is what you want-"

"Yes," she said, relief thick in her voice.

He pulled gently on her wrist and in the bare sense of light that kept them from bumping into each other but little else, he placed her in his lap, the 'blanket' falling aside. He hesitated only the slightest fraction of a second before sliding his hand up her arm, past her shoulder, and along her neck to where he could cup her cheek. Then, again with only the barest of pauses, he leaned in to kiss her.

———

Janet had no idea how long the waves of passion and sensation washed over her, abandoning her to a sea of just being, with only Daniel as her companion.

The universe existed only for them and she clung to him as he did to her, two lost souls who'd found each other in the vast reaches of loneliness and discovered a doorway to another existence.

Finally, eventually, it abated, leaving her feeling content in a way that she knew was both wrong and right.

Wrong because she recalled where they were and what awaited the next day and she didn't think she was capable of feeling such complete bliss knowing her fate, and yet right because . . . she didn't even have words for it.

It just was.

She still lay in Daniel's arms, tremors racing over her skin from both the cold and what she'd just found. Both of them were breathing hard and her pulse was racing, a response she knew she shared with Daniel because of the location of her ear in relation to his heart.

They lay on their sides and he bent his head towards hers to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Are you going to be okay?" he whispered.

It took her a few tries, but she finally managed to get out, "More than you'll ever know."

He tightened the arm around her shoulders briefly and then started to sit up.

She stopped him and he looked down at her, though he really couldn't see her.

"Where are you going?"

He chuckled, sounding rather contented himself, which pleased her for reasons she wasn't quite sure she understood.

"To get our clothes. It's too cold to be laying here in nothing but our skin, _Doctor_ Fraiser. Or do you want frostbite?" His tone was teasing, not mocking and she knew there was no danger of frostbite but he was right about it being too cold to lay naked on the ground in the dark.

"Oh. Right."

He chuckled again and stood, moving slowly around until he'd located all of the relevant articles of clothing which they shook out and replaced.

Once dressed, he put an arm around her shoulders again and scooted back until he was leaning against the rear wall of the shack. He very easily picked her up and set her in his lap once more, but this time he simply wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

It threatened to set her off again and she shivered in anticipation, but he just held her close and whispered that she should sleep. He would keep watch.

She _was_ feeling sleepy, probably a product of their malnourished states and the massive amount of energy they'd just expended as much as the late hour, but she didn't know if she would have time tomorrow and she didn't want to miss the opportunity to say two things she desperately needed him to know.

The first was easy.

"Thank you," she said simply.

After a moment he responded in a husky voice that thrilled down her spine, "You're welcome."

The second was not so easy but she needed to say it even more.

"Tomorrow-"

"Hush. It's not tomorrow yet," he reminded her.

"Daniel, I need to say this and I don't know if it will be possible before he comes. Please let me speak."

He exhaled and his voice sounded a lot older and more weary than just moments before. "Okay. Say it."

"When he comes for me-" Her voice failed her and she swallowed to restore moisture to her mouth. "When he comes, don't resist."

"Janet-"

"Please, Daniel." She knew he needed—deserved more than that—and she sought to find the words to explain.

"If you resist, he'll kill you. I don't want him to-" She couldn't continue so she moved on, knowing he understood. "But I'd rather he did _that_ than kill you. And if you're dead he'll still get his way."

"I don't know if I can just let him take you," he said, burying his head against her neck. "I couldn't before,but especially not now."

She wanted to explore that barely heard admission, to find out what exactly he meant, but she knew she couldn't linger now. If they ever got back to Colorado alive they needed to sit down and talk about where they stood with each other—the last hours having changed their relationship in ways she couldn't even begin to understand—but right now was not the time.

"You have to, Daniel." She hesitated and then laid down her last card. "I can endure whatever comes tomorrow if I know I'll be coming back to you. I need you here. Please."

He lifted his head and his hand moved to her cheek and he cupped it, running a thumb over the tears she hadn't realized had started.

"I'll always be here for you."

She brought her hand up to cover his and smiled, shifting her head slightly to kiss his palm.

"I know. But I need you here in the flesh. I'm going to need some strong arms to hold me tight and soft lips to kiss my head and an unfailingly trustworthy voice to tell me everything's going to be all right."

"And you'll have them," he responded, bringing his arm down to encircle her again and pull her close.

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now go to sleep."

With his promise tucked securely in her heart she allowed her eyes to shut and fell asleep cocooned in the warmth of his love.

* * *

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." Dale Carnegie

Thanks for reading!

Keaira


	5. Divided

AN: This chapter is very similar to the last one but I decided to keep it anyway as it shows Daniel's POV and every time I tried to combine the two it got messy and confusing.

Also, in the interest of moving on to another story I'm posting this as fast as I can get it uploaded. I still appreciate reviews though!

Evolutionary Branches  
By Keaira

Chapter 4- Divided . . .

* * *

Daniel didn't sleep that night. 

Part of it was a desire to spend every possible moment with the woman he'd just tonight discovered he'd fallen in love with. He didn't know what the future would bring, not even tomorrow, and he didn't want to miss a single instant of whatever time he had with her.

He'd gone along with it originally out of a desire to grant her what they both knew might be her last wish, however much they might hope for rescue.

But as she responded he'd found his desire changing into something much different. No longer one friend helping another it became a fulfillment of his own desire, one he hadn't known was lurking in the back of his mind.

Then she'd flinched away when he first touched her and he'd felt a sudden weight of dread crash down on him that she'd changed her mind. In that moment, he'd seen what was happening to him and he'd found his need for her more than disconcerting before she'd whispered for him to continue and swept his doubts away in one fell swoop.

In that moment he needed her so badly it was a sharp spike of pain through his whole body. So he'd claimed her, marked her, mapped every inch of her skin with his fingers in indelible ink in his memory.

They reached the pinnacle together and then drew closer and leapt over the side as one, two souls united in a blinding fusion of passion and desire that sent them racing through the universe in every direction at once. Time, space, none of it meant anything. They simply were and that was enough.

That was the exact moment he discovered he couldn't live without her.

He would be half of a whole and would fade into nothingness if she left him alone. He didn't even know how he'd survived until now.

As the ecstasy faded and the real world slowly trickled its way back into his consciousness he was gripped by a sudden panic that he'd discovered a magnificent secret far too late.

It was some lousy fucking timing!

Why the hell did the universe wait until the night before he stood to lose everything to let him in on this little tidbit of knowledge?

As he lay with her cradled in his arms, dreading the arrival of dawn, he clung to her, promising himself that if they made it out of this hell alive, the two of them were going to sit down and talk.

Then, as if he wasn't reeling badly enough, she blew his mind with her first words after they'd dressed.

"Thank you."

Why was she thanking him? She was the one who'd given him the gift of allowing him to love her. What had he done?

He'd responded with the only thing his brain could come up with.

"You're welcome."

Oooh, there he goes showing off that mastery of twenty-some languages! Everything she'd given him, that he'd realized, and all he can say is, "You're welcome."

Good going, Jackson. You really impressed her with your suave charm and debonair wit.

Idiot.

Then she dropped the second volley.

"Tomorrow-"

"Hush," he'd said. "It's not tomorrow yet." He didn't even want to think about tomorrow let alone be around to greet it. He just wanted to stay forever in this moment.

"Daniel, I need to say this and I don't know if it will be possible before he comes. Please let me speak."

Her voice had confirmed she was thinking of the same thing he was and he released the breath he'd been holding, not wanting to hear it, but powerless to refuse her request.

"Okay. Say it."

"When he comes for me-" She stopped and he wanted to kiss her or say something, anything to stop what she was about to say, but he couldn't. Apparently his mouth didn't know what was coming and was willing to conspire against him to find out. "When he comes, don't resist."

Finally his mouth responded to the commands he gave it. "Janet-"

"Please, Daniel."

Damn. She just had to say please didn't she?

"If you resist, he'll kill you. I don't want him to-" She stopped but he knew what she was talking about anyway and prayed she'd move on without forcing the issue. She seemed to hear his mental pleas and continued. "But I'd rather he did _that_ than kill you. And if you're dead he'll still get his way."

"I don't know if I can just let him take you," he said honestly, hiding his face in the thick softness of her hair as he pressed his nose to the skin of her neck, inhaling her scent. "I couldn't before, but especially not now." He wasn't sure if he'd even said it aloud or if she'd heard it.

She paused and then pressed doggedly on.

"You have to, Daniel." She sucked in a breath. "I can endure whatever comes tomorrow if I know I'll be coming back to you. I need you here. Please."

He shut his eyes and fought for control. She just had to say it didn't she? She had to lay it all out there, on his shoulders, didn't she?

It would be so easy to say he wasn't going to allow her to endure anything, that he would protect her from all the evil in the universe, but it was a promise they both knew he couldn't keep. He forced his eyes open and found her face with his hand, cradling her cheek and feeling the wet warmth of her tears.

_Oh no, Janet, don't cry. I won't be able to take it if you cry_, he desperately thought.

"I'll always be here for you," he said instead, his voice stronger than he expected it to be.

She laid her hand over his and smiled, then turned to place a feather light kiss against his palm. Did she even know the power she held in her lips? Forget her little finger, his mind and body was a willing prisoner to those soft lips. It was a damn good thing she was on his side or he'd be royally and completely screwed.

And not in the pleasant way he'd just experienced either.

"I know," she said in a whisper. "But I need you here in the flesh. I'm going to need some strong arms to hold me tight and soft lips to kiss my head and an unfailingly trustworthy voice to tell me everything's going to be all right."

"And you'll have them," he promised even as he wondered where he was going to find them. He was fairly certain by the time she was returned to him—if ever—he was going to have traded those models in for the much cheaper weak arms, blubbering lips, and nonexistent voice.

"Promise?"

_I'd give you the universe if you asked._

"I promise. Now go to sleep."

She obeyed his command that time and he began the countdown to the end of the universe.

———

He was sure of only one thing when the first faint light of dawn registered in his mind.

He had to protect her.

He had to, he knew it. Every cell in his body screamed at him to do whatever was necessary to guard her from those who would cause her harm. He was willing to lay down his life for her.

But he didn't know if he could do the one thing she asked.

Logically he knew that she was right. Resisting her being taken from him was almost certainly suicidal, but his heart cried just as loud that it would most definitely kill him to stand by and do nothing.

He was torn and as each minute ticked past he grew no closer to an acceptable compromise.

He looked down and saw the peaceful expression and hint of a grin on her face and before he could stop himself he bent down to kiss the upturned corner of her lips nearest him.

She woke at the light touch and looked up at him in confusion before smiling sleepily and allowing her eyes to drift shut again.

"Morning," she breathed and he had to clench a fist to maintain control.

_He couldn't do it._

"Morning," he responded, his steady voice belying the internal battle he waged.

_He had to do it._

Then her eyes snapped open again and she looked down at his arms around her then up at him.

He saw a kaleidoscope of emotions swirl through her brown eyes before she looked down again.

He thought she might try to free herself, but after a moment of tenseness she relaxed and laid her head back down.

"I didn't dream that, did I?"

"Dream what?" he asked softly.

"Us," she said simply after a moment.

_He couldn't do it._

He smiled slightly and she looked up at him.

"No. Not unless I had the same dream."

She smiled slightly herself and looked back down.

"Good."

_He had to do it._

Then the sounds of approaching footsteps broke the early morning stillness and they both immediately tensed. She sat up and pulled away until she was sitting next to him instead of in his lap.

He felt her absence suddenly and sharply, but knew it was a wise move. They didn't need to give their 'hosts' anything more to use against them. It was bad enough they were friends and co-workers. Daniel shuddered to think how Raphael might use them being lovers against them.

He glanced at Janet and saw she seemed to have shrunken before his very eyes. Curled up in a little ball to protect herself—she looked very vulnerable and he felt his chest tighten.

_He couldn't do it._

Then she sucked in a deep breath and looked up, determination etched into her features.

_He had to do it._

At the last minute she reached for and grasped his hand, squeezing it tightly before releasing it.

_He couldn't do it._

"Remember, you promised," she said softly, though she sounded more like she was trying to reassure herself.

_He had to do it._

The door banged open and Raphael entered, grinning in a way that made Janet shudder and Daniel want to bury his fist in the rebel leader's face.

He kept his gun leveled on the both of them and waved one of his fellow rebels forward to grab Janet's arm and drag her to her feet.

Once on her feet she yanked her arm free and raised her head, looking all of them in the eye causing a rush of pride to warm Daniel's heart.

_Atta__ girl,_ he silently cheered.

Not all of them could meet her eye and a couple looked away, obviously uncomfortable with what they saw.

Raphael had no shame. He openly leered at her, his eyes roving up and down her body.

_He couldn't do it._

"You won't get anything out of me," she vowed. "Not a single sound."

_He had to do it._

"We shall see," the greasy man promised and grabbed her arm. She tried to jerk free but he maintained his hold as he pulled her towards the door.

She looked back at Daniel and as their eyes met he knew he couldn't do it. He would keep his promise to her.

Apparently Raphael caught their shared gaze.

"Do not worry, Señor. I will not kill her." He moved to touch her cheek and she jerked away then looked back, her eyes burning with pure, undiluted hatred. "She is a fiery one, no? My men have been away from their homes for a long time. I myself lost my wife several years ago in a raid on my village. We do not often see such rare jewels in this part of the country. We will take very good care of her, eh, muchachos?"

Several enthusiastic—and crude—affirmative responses answered the question and Daniel paled as he realized what exactly Raphael was saying. He saw a similar look of understanding cross Janet's face as two more of the men came and took her by the arms.

She wasn't just going to be raped. She was going to be offered to any of the men in camp who wanted her. Like a flask of whiskey to be passed from soldier to soldier, each getting a taste of a long missed pleasure.

"Of course, even a rare jewel can only take so much handling before it loses its shine. A pity, but a fact of life."

A rushing sound filled Daniel's ears and he reacted without conscious thought, lunging at the man next to him and seizing the rifle to try and pull it free. But a day and a half without food or water had left him unable to fight back against the stronger man and he was pushed to the floor as the rebel leader laughed.

"I advise you to think, my friend. If you should change your mind about wanting to share information, then I might reconsider letting my men have her. But I warn you, it must be good. They will not be pleased with losing this chance. You must offer a suitable substitute."

With a final kick to the gut he was left alone, the sight of Janet's terrified but determined face the last thing he saw before the door was shut once more.

* * *

"Courage is grace under pressure." -Ernest Hemingway

Keaira


	6. But Not Conquered

Evolutionary Branches  
By Keaira

Chapter 5 - . . . But Not Conquered

* * *

Again and again, Raphael's words echoed through Janet's head as though through repetition they might somehow change.

She realized the futility of her situation as she was dragged through camp and saw at least twenty men who were openly watching her with anticipatory grins on their lips.

Several more men—a few barely out of their teens—looked at her with less obvious but still visible lust and her stomach heaved.

She was now thinking maybe it was a blessing that she'd had no food the last few days. She had nothing to throw up.

Then again, if she'd started puking on people, they might be a bit more reluctant to participate.

Or they'd flat out kill her.

She caught herself wondering if that might not be preferable and shook her head to banish the thought.

She promised Daniel she'd come back to him if he promised not to get himself killed trying a pointless rescue attempt. He'd more or less kept his promise and she'd keep hers.

Their destination was another shack, slightly more enclosed than the one she and Daniel were in. Inside it held various pieces of junk and what appeared to be a small armory's worth of ammunition. A ragged, threadbare cot stood against one side, a dirty blanket tossed across it. She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself and continued her survey. Several containers with uneaten bits of food caked on them in various stages of decay made her wrinkle her nose in disgust.

She was thrust inside and then the door was slammed shut behind her. Pressing her face to the missing knothole in one board she was confronted with Raphael's grinning visage and she leapt back in surprise just before he threw open the door and stepped inside.

He said something in quick Spanish—far faster than her meager skills could even pick up the words let alone translate them.

The two men outside responded with envious glances at her and a somewhat resigned, "Sí, Señor."

Then the door was shut with a final sounding creak and it was just the two of them.

———

Daniel had no idea how long he stared at the door, unmoving, though from the shift in sunlight he'd guess an hour or two.

His ears strained for any sound and he felt a chill race down his spine at the unearthly silence.

He had no idea if the silence was a good thing or a bad thing and it was driving him nuts.

Eventually he forced himself to his feet and over to the board walls to where he could look out. The men sat in small groups around the camp, cleaning weapons or playing cards or just talking quietly amongst themselves. But every now and again a few eyes would stray towards the shack on the opposite side of camp, the nicest—in a very loose interpretation of the word—building visible.

He swallowed the lump blocking his throat as he too looked at the wooden boards.

There was no movement, no indication of anything alive in there, but it was most certainly where Janet had been taken.

Then with a movement so fast and unexpected that it made him jump the door flew open and Raphael strode out.

He didn't look happy and Daniel couldn't help but take hope from that.

The rebel leader stalked around the camp yelling at the men for no apparent reason and swearing a blue streak. After a good twenty minutes of this he returned to the shack and entered, shutting the door behind himself once more.

Slowly the men returned to whatever they were doing but Daniel's eyes never strayed from the tiny wooden hut where his love and his life lay, fighting demons he couldn't reach and couldn't fight.

He closed his eyes as the pain swept over him.

_Please just let her be okay,_ he silently prayed, then opened his eyes to resume his vigil.

———

She heard the door open behind her but didn't move.

It didn't matter anyway she thought as she stared dully at the wall.

A shudder wracked her body despite the heat of the day. It had stopped mattering the second or third time. Or was it the fourth? She'd lost count by now and a part of her thought that was for the best.

She was completely naked, not even the blanket to cover herself, but she was also beyond caring. Even the tears had stopped, leaving streaks behind but no longer flowing.

Her thoughts were turned inward, focused on staying alive and returning to Daniel. Daniel's presence again would be her reward for enduring the torture being visited on her.

She was basically catatonic and as he crossed the room and laid a hand on her hip to turn her over she didn't even respond, falling limply onto her back. She blinked languidly as he sat on the cot, but there was nothing else to indicate she even knew he was there.

She did though.

She was aware of what happened to her even as she tried to ignore it.

She'd fought the first time until he promised a slow and painful death for Daniel and Bill if she continued to resist him. So she'd stopped fighting.

But she'd be damned if she'd participate. Instead she'd found her current sanctuary in retreating to her thoughts.

As he cursed at her and demanded she speak, she recited the things she was going to talk to Daniel about when they got back to Colorado. Stupid little questions she wanted to ask him, secrets about herself she wanted to share, everything she wanted to say to him went on a list in her head.

She also concentrated on everything she already knew about Daniel.

The way he smiled when he was embarrassed about ending up in her infirmary again. His intense gaze as he focused his whole attention on what she was saying. His excitement as he spoke about the latest ruins he'd visited or artifact he'd found.

She hid in her mind and waited for the end.

She hadn't even bothered to explain that first time that she didn't know the answers to his questions. That she wasn't involved in the archaeology side of things. That she was just the expedition's field medic.

They'd decided shortly after arriving in camp that it was best for now to hide the fact she was an American Air Force officer. They didn't know how that might be received among the militant guerillas who had little love for American civilians. No doubt they'd really go berserk if they thought the American military was invading their country.

Daniel had already tried to explain that she was clueless butRaphael hadn't believed it and apparently the very thought she was lying to him was enough to send him into a frenzy.

That was when he'd raped her the second time, yelling at her for her stubborn refusal to cooperate. He'd insisted he would _make_ her answer his questions.

He had yet to make her utter so much as a grunt of pain.

She just set her jaw and bit the inside of her cheek until it bled.

She'd warned him she wouldn't speak and she wasn't about to lose this battle of wills.

He continued yelling at her and she ignored him.

Then things changed.

Before she hadn't heard a single sound from outside the cabin, and she assumed it was either understood or he'd given orders not to disturb him.

But now there were several voices raised in rapid discussion. After a moment footsteps drew close and someone started arguing with the guards outside.

A heated argument started to develop but was quickly cut short as Raphael strode over and yanked the door open.

He snarled something and the young man who'd come over cast his eyes down and apologized profusely before explaining himself.

Raphael fell silent and then turned and regarded her for a few interminable moments.

Then he shrugged and tossed off a comment that made the guards and the young man laugh.

With one final look her way he stepped outside and shut the door.

Without a word she turned once more to lay on her side facing the wall and curled up as the tremors started again.

* * *

"Often the real test of courage is not to die, but to live. "- Conte Vittorio Alfieri 

Keaira


	7. Reprieve

Evolutionary Branches  
By Keaira

Chapter 6 -Reprieve

* * *

Daniel listened to the shouting and all the commotion but held his breath.

One on hand he was elated. Obviously Janet was still refusing to answer him.

On the other, their captor's growing anger wasn't at all reassuring. What he would do when truly infuriated scared Daniel as much as anything.

They would only be valuable assets worth keeping as long as rational thought prevailed. If he tipped over the edge into insanity their life expectancies shortened considerably.

Suddenly a commotion broke out as a young man Daniel didn't recognize came running into the camp. He babbled excitedly but Daniel thought he caught most of it.

Someone was coming and was bringing . . . something. What Daniel wasn't sure but the rest of the men seemed to understand and were all very much excited by the news.

The young man was plied with more questions but Daniel's attention followed the young man from within the camp that went over the shack where Janet and Raphael were.

With all the noise from the center of camp Daniel couldn't hear the argument, but it seemed rather heated until the door opened and Raphael appeared.

He stopped the conversation with a quick order and then listened as the young man explained about the newcomer.

Raphael grew thoughtful then and the two guards and messenger waited for his decision.

He glanced back in the cabin and Daniel strained his eyes but couldn't even hope to see that far without his glasses.

Then he said something that got a relieved laugh from the other three and threw one more glance inside before leaving and shutting the door.

Daniel exhaled in relief and sagged slightly against the fragile wall, breathing a prayer of thanks for small blessings.

He wondered what the news had been again as he watched the men break out the cooking utensils and pots and begin preparing what looked to be quite a feast.

His mouth watered at the prospect, but he pushed it aside. Frighteningly enough that was getting easier to do.

He watched the men of the camp prepare a veritable feast that took most of the afternoon and the whole time Raphael stayed away from the shack, supervising his men instead.

Finally as dusk approached a bonfire was set up and lit and shortly thereafter the sound of approaching vehicles was heard.

Daniel watched as the three large troop carriers pulled into an open spot off the dirt path that served as a road and sudden comprehension set in as he watched woman after woman climb down, all dressed in bright clothes and making a large to do over the men who eagerly awaited them, assisting them down and flirting with them even as they blatantly grabbed butts and breasts and everything in between.

The women didn't seem to mind and very quickly every man in camp—excepting the guards posted around his, Bill's, and Raphael's shacks—had at least one companion. Then the party really began.

Loud laughter and boastful chatter were the predominant sounds but Daniel could hear that a few of the couples who had disappeared into the darkness just outside the bonfire's reach were well beyond the grabbing and fondling stage.

Even as he felt bad for the young women who'd been brought here by unknown means he was grateful for their arrival.

They all seemed pretty willing to engage the men in talk or whatever else was desired and as long as they were all occupied by these volunteers, none of the men would be going after Janet.

Daniel kept an eye on things simply because he alternated between watching Raphael and his shack.

Finally one of the women went to Raphael and bent close to whisper something in his ear.

He listened and then shrugged. The he turned to the men standing outside his shack and ordered them in slightly drunken Spanish to return Janet to Daniel's shack and join the festivities.

They nodded eagerly and disappeared inside even as Daniel's heart sped up.

She was going to be returned to him.

Equal parts fear and anticipation filled him.

He wasn't sure he was ready to see what had been done to her, but he was even less sure he wanted to wait any longer to have her back where he could at least try to protect her. At least he wouldn't be left to wonder and she wouldn't be alone.

His eyes were glued to the dark hole of the doorway as he waited for her to appear.

———

Janet was left alone long enough that eventually she gave into the sleep that kept trying to drag her down into its embrace.

Loud laughter woke her up and she looked around in disorientation before she realized where she was.

It was dark now and the only light seemed to be from a huge fire lit in the center of the camp.

She gingerly sat up, wincing at the pain it caused, but still remaining silent, the repression of noise already ingrained into her behavior.

Slowly she made her way to the door and peeked out the knothole again.

There seemed to be a party going on and while she didn't know where all the young women had come from she was grateful for the distraction they caused.

She spotted Raphael by the fire with a full-figured young thing on his arm, grinning as she nibbled on his ear and whispered to him. He seemed completely taken with her and Janet felt relief rush through her.

Perhaps a willing partner would be enough for him and she would be left alone, at least until the women left.

She'd take what she could get, she decided and chanced putting her clothes back on. The tank top was ripped through on one shoulder but she ignored it and pulled it over her head. She didn't bother to look for her bra and only put her panties back on because they were with her pants. Her shoes weren't immediately visible but if a chance to escape came she didn't want to miss it or risk being recaptured because she was slowed down by a lack of protection for her feet.

She pulled them on and secured them with basic knots instead of actually tying them because her hands were shaking and it was all she could manage. Then she tucked the laces into the tops and sat on the ground away from the door and the cot.

She leaned back against the wall and pulled her knees up to her chest. Her body protested but she felt too exposed in any other position and it wasn't like she would stop hurting however she sat.

Only the severity and location changed as she shifted.

She had almost dropped off again when the door opened and she tensed, immediately awake.

It was just the two guards though and they looked around for a moment in confusion before spotting her.

Then the one leveled his rifle at her while the other came forward.

She shrank back against the wall, but he advanced until he was close enough to grab her arm and haul her to her feet. She allowed him that but then jerked on her arm, pushing down the pain from the bruises he was aggravating. He refused to release her and instead yanked on her arm until she was up against his chest.

His companion said something and glanced out the door but the man holding her snapped back a response before leaning in to kiss her.

Raphael had threatened her if she fought, but he wasn't here and she was sick and tired of being used for others' base desires. She pulled back and he just laughed and set his gun aside, out of her reach unfortunately.

Again his companion said something, his longing gaze directed outside, no doubt at the willing young women who waited there.

But his words fell on deaf ears as Janet's other arm was seized and she was pulled in for a bruising kiss.

As she gasped for air moments later, he wrapped one arm around her while the other hand slid down her side to her butt, lingering there for a moment. She sucked in a breath at this latest offense.

It was the final straw and hot, blinding fury seized her as she reacted without thinking, bringing one knee up to nail her attacker in the crotch while her hands scratched and hit anything they could reach. Her entire body thrashed as she sought freedom and as she made contact in several places—including her first target—her attacker swore and released her out of reflex as the pain from her successful hits caused him to bend forward in pain.

She took the chance she had been given and raced past before he could get his hands on her again.

She didn't even go for the gun. It was a rifle and he'd have it out of her hands before she could aim it at him, wounded or not. Besides, with a gun she was a serious threat and the force that outnumbered her was also armed meaning she'd likely earn little but a bullet or ten.

Death wasn't the out she wanted. She wasn't leaving Daniel and Bill behind and she wasn't going to get them killed either if she could help it.

So instead she ran.

She even almost made it.

But at the last second the guard at the door got lucky and caught her across the stomach with his rifle as she tried to run past while he turned.

She went down gasping and after a moment to process what had happened he grabbed her arm.

The one who'd tried to assault her had recovered sufficiently to come after her and he grabbed her other arm.

She was hauled up and then backhanded by the one she'd attacked.

Stars swam and exploded before her eyes but she was spared further abuse by the last person she expected to save her—Raphael had brought his companion over to find some privacy in his shack no doubt and a sharp command stayed his compatriot's hand.

He spat something at her but her ears were ringing too loudly for her to hear it.

Then with one last remark he indicated the guards should take her away.

She couldn't walk but she did her damnedest to try, stumbling and staggering across the yard to the welcome shape of the shack she and Daniel had been imprisoned in.

She just had to hold onto consciousness a little longer, she told her swirling thoughts. Only when she was sure of Daniel's presence and well-being could she surrender to the darkness.

Just a little longer.

* * *

"When you know who you are;  
when your mission is clear and you  
burn with the inner fire of unbreakable will;  
no cold can touch your heart;  
no deluge can dampen your purpose.  
You know that you are alive." - Chief Seattle

Keaira


	8. Returned

This one's short but 'squishy' . . . or so I've been told.

Evolutionary Branches  
By Keaira  
Returned

* * *

Daniel watched as the guards disappeared and it was a few anxious moments—no doubt stretched even further by his impatience—before she appeared.

He witnessed the struggle and the exchange between the guards and Raphael before she was hauled away, her steps unsteady enough to require the support of both of the men flanking her.

The woman hanging on Raphael frowned and asked something but his whispered words in her ear apparently took precedence over her curiosity and she laughed as she and Raphael staggered inside the shack, shutting the door once more.

Daniel's gaze returned to the fast approaching Janet and he practically bounced on the balls of his feet as he watched them drag her closer.

Then the door was opened and only a guard's rifle kept Daniel in. He was pushed back and she was brought forward then unceremoniously dumped on the ground.

A final curse from her attacker and the door was shut.

Daniel immediately went to her side and knelt down, looking her over and cataloging the injuries he owed Raphael and the guard who'd slapped her.

She flinched at his touch and he started murmuring nonsensical words of comfort and reassurance.

He partially rolled her over and she blinked up at him, recognition coming after a moment.

"Daniel?"

"Shh," he said and nodded. "It's okay. I'm here."

Her eyes drifted shut but she wasn't unconscious yet, though he could hear it coming in her voice.

"Didn't . . . didn't make a sound. Not one."

"That's good. I'm so proud of you."

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, Janet?"

"Wanna . . . go home."

It took a few seconds before he could speak again.

"I know. We'll go home soon."

"Promise?"

"I promise," he said hoarsely.

"Kay."

He gathered her up in his arms and though she whimpered once more twice in pain, she didn't resist and she even curled one hand into a fist that grasped his tank top.

He had nothing to give her, he couldn't even treat her wounds, so he did the only thing he could.

He held her and murmured to her how much he loved her and how they'd be home soon. She just had to hold on a little longer.

Just a little longer.

* * *

"There is a strength of a quiet endurance as significant of courage as the most daring feats of prowess. "- Henry Tuckerman

Keaira


	9. Bad News

Evolutionary Branches  
By Keaira  
Bad News

* * *

"Do you have a minute, Carter?" 

She glanced up from a straightening of her workbench. It was immediately obvious that something was wrong.

"What is it, Sir?"

"Feel ready for your first command of a mission through the Stargate?"

"Sir?" she asked in confusion.

"There's been a complication with getting the device in Central America. Something that requires my special brand of expertise."

She considered that as she looked down and continued working. His tone was light, but if she was asked what his special brand of expertise was it wasn't something to be discussed in a light tone. Black Ops weren't generally casual matters after all.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, you know Daniel. Wandered a little off course and needs someone to remind him which way is home."

She managed a smile and looked up. "And it has to be _you_?"

"If you're not ready-"

"Not at all. I just think it's kind of . . . weird."

"Why? I have an excellent sense of direction."

Now her smile was genuine if wry. "I'm not going to comment on that. But what I actually meant was that Janet's got an internal compass that would make most migratory birds jealous and she can always find her way if she's been there before. I don't know if she's capable of getting lost."

Their eyes met and Jack sighed internally. He really thought he was better at lying.

"The State Department got a report from the Honduran government. Two Americans are being held hostage by some rebels hidden in the jungle."

"Only two?"

"I know. The numbers aren't right, but it's close enough to the location to make us nervous and it might require an exrtraction team to go in and fish them out. I'll be staying here just in case."

He didn't mention that Daniel and his team hadn't checked in recently. He didn't want to worry her. Bad enough the report had actually said the other two were dead. Their guide was local so he was probably one of the casualties, but that still left one of their coworkers that wouldn't be coming back to Colorado alive.

"Then I guess it'll just be Teal'c, Dad, and me. Don't worry. I think we can manage."

"I'm sure you can," he said and followed her out of the room and down the hallway. He was quite proud of the fact that he kept the worry and doubt out of his voice.

If only he could keep it out of his head.

———

It was another long night without sleep, something Daniel couldn't change if he tried.

He was exhausted, the toll of the last few days showing in his slow movements, but whatever his body was suffering, his mind would not slow down.

He prayed, he talked to Janet, he plotted and planned, preparing mentally for any chance that might come to escape.

She was unconscious through the night, but she seemed to be doing okay so he let her sleep.

Shortly before dawn the nightmare started.

It began with little twitches, a scared whimper every now and again.

Before long she was tossing and fighting his grip on her.

He'd have released her but he couldn't bear to do so as she sobbed and plead with the demons that plagued her sleep. Not that he could have anyway

Instead he held her tightly and continued murmuring to her, letting her know he was there for her the best he could.

Her thrashing grew more violent and then he gave up and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her as he called her name.

Her eyes flew open and she stared at him, her breathing harsh and ragged.

Then she realized who he was and where she was and she went limp again, fresh sobs tearing free as her head dropped. He felt the small wet spots of her tears on his pants and pulled her in close again, tucking her head under his chin as he held her, one hand gently rubbing the skin of her back under her shirt, one of the few unmarked spots on her.

She clung to him, unable to do anything but cry as the terror and fear and embarrassment and humiliation of the previous day finally came out, all her suppressed words and reactions releasing in a rush.

His heart constricted painfully in his chest as she cried, each sob tearing a chunk of his soul out to be washed away with their mingled tears.

When finally she cried herself out it was past sunrise, and she still lay with her head on his chest, one fist clutching his shirt.

He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her shoulders.

"We're going to get through this, Janet," he promised and she sniffed.

"I don't know how much longer I can last, Daniel," she answered, her voice hoarse from the sobs and from the raw emotions still pulsing through her.

"Just a little longer. Someone has to be looking for us. Jack or Teal'c or Sam or someone. We're days overdue for a report. They'll come."

"Okay."

She said the words, but there was no hope in her voice. The strong, brave Janet that walked out the day before was gone, a shattered shell of a woman in her place.

But he knew that the Janet he loved was still in there. He just needed to get her away from here and back into her life and she'd come back out.

He refused to give up on that. It was the one thought that kept him from giving in to the despair himself.

They fell silent then, just taking comfort from each others' presence. Words were no longer necessary and required too much effort.

Just being was enough.

Until the sun had completely risen above the horizon.

Then the door was thrown open and Janet flinched and tightened her grip on Daniel. They no longer cared about appearances. It wouldn't stop the torture, the abuse, and it was the only thing they had to fight back.

To say, _We're not beaten yet._

Two guards entered and one reached for Janet as the other came for Daniel.

He tightened his grip and fought back, deciding that he'd fulfilled his promise and it no longer applied. This was a new situation and he wasn't going to give her up the way he had the day before.

Janet fought too, her arms focused on retaining her grip on Daniel, but her legs free to kick and injure.

It took two more guards to finally drag Daniel away, leaving Janet behind, but they managed it and he was pulled out the door, the wood protesting as it was slammed shut once more.

———

Janet watched him go with some trepidation.

She could still hear the leader as he promised that things would get worse if he didn't like the answers to his questions.

But they couldn't give him the answers he wanted.

National security aside, the artifact had the potential to be very dangerous indeed on the wrong hands. And except for the Goa'uld, she couldn't think of worse hands than some guerilla forces in the Central American jungles.

But worrying about what might happen wasn't helping.

She needed to use the time she had to find a way out of here if she could, or at least figure out what she was going to do when her turn came again . . .

———

After being pulled out of the shed and directed across camp, Daniel found himself in one of the other crude sheds across the way from their little prison. He used his walk over to get the best look he could at the surrounding area, but without his glasses there was little he could see that might be of use.

The first thing he noticed upon entering the shack was the sweet scent of fresh fruit, but he only allowed his eyes to flick over to the table at where the chunks of pineapple lay on a plate.

He was familiar enough with the routine of being kidnapped that he knew there were a few rules.

Rule number one was to not let your enemy know how well his tactics might be working.

So with a little extra effort on his part, Daniel managed to keep his eyes on Raphael instead of the food that he wouldn't be able to have.

He stopped in the center of the small room and a chair was pulled over before a hand on his shoulder pushed him down to sit in it.

"You've not had water or food for two days," Raphael said and took a drink of the water he'd just poured into a glass.

Daniel kept his eyes down as long as he could, using the excuse of rubbing at his nose to distract himself.

Rule number two was to not avoid eye contact all the time. It was another indicator of how well the tactics might be working, not to mention it was the most basic of body language and it meant you were intimidated by your opponent, not something you wanted to reveal.

Finally he lifted his eyes and then his head as Raphael picked up a chunk of fruit and took a bite, exaggerating how good it was for Daniel's benefit—or detriment as the case may be.

"Mmm. Muy delicioso. Pick of the season."

Daniel glanced at the plate. Silently he told himself that he wasn't really hungry and it didn't look that good anyway. It was a lie on both accounts, but if he said it enough he just might believe it eventually.

It was almost even working. Except now that he was looking at the food he couldn't tear his eyes away.

"This is very good," Raphael declared and then threw the rest of the chunk away. He straightened and nailed Daniel with a hard look. "Today," he announced as he circled around to where the artifact could be seen partially hidden under a burlap bag, "we start slow. I'm going to ask you again." He tossed the bag laying on the artifact off.

"What is this?"

Daniel still couldn't take his eyes off the fruit, but he was consciously remaining silent.

"And this is the part where you do not talk," Raphael said. "Okay." He snagged a piece of fruit off the tray and took a bite as he walked over, then waved in front of Daniel's face and even touched it to his lips.

"For you and your friends . . ." he taunted.

It took every ounce of self control Daniel had at that moment to not lick his lips. But he managed it and cheered the small victory in his head. It was by no means the war, but in this situation every battle won was a victory to cherish.

Raphael turned away, returning to the artifact.

". . . if you tell me what this is."

Daniel finally tore his eyes away from the fruit and let his eyes wander a bit, but Raphael continued, undaunted by his silence.

"I don't know how long someone can go without food," the rebel said as he rested a hip on the table. "But I believe the human body needs water every . . . three or four days." He punctuated his sentence by taking a few swallows of the water he'd poured previously.

Daniel knew that spilling everything wasn't going to get them out of this mess even if they could tell the man what he wanted to know. But he also knew that Raphael was right about needing water. And in the heat of the day when they lost as much moisture as they did through sweat it was even more important to replenish that necessity of life.

The trick to surviving a hostage situations like this was to give enough information to your captors to get what you wanted or needed to survive without giving them anything of real value.

So he started talking.

"It's an ancient artifact."

That got Raphael's attention, the cup coming down as water dribbled down his chin. He wiped it away and then repeated, "An artifact."

"Yeah," Daniel said. "I'm an archaeologist. It's what I do. I look for artifacts." He couldn't stop the small smile or laugh that escaped. "Found one."

_Great, Daniel, just what you need. This is not the time to prove you spend too much time around Jack O'Neill._

Raphael wasn't laughing.

"Seriously I'm an archaeologist," Daniel continued. "You guys can look me up on the internet if you want." He paused and then looked at the others and added, "Do you have a computer?"

No one else laughed and he winced.

_Yikes. Tough crowd._

"It all makes perfect sense," Raphael said. "You're just an archaeologist. And you find and study artifacts."

"Makes perfect sense," he agreed, his eyes back on the fruit.

Yup, still there. Nope, still not gonna get any.

"I'm going to ask you one last time," Raphael said, his voice low with menace and annoyance as he pulled the artifact into view. "What is this?"

Daniel met his eyes briefly, but refused to open his mouth. At the rate he was going so far, he wasn't going to get anything but maybe a kick to the gut or, if he really pissed them off, a bullet to the head.

Those were not what he was aiming for. No pun intended.

"And again you're not so talkative."

Keeping his mouth shut, he nevertheless brought his eyes up and held the man's gaze.

"What gives you the right to come into our country and steal valuable artifacts?"

_And you were really going to treasure them for their historical value,_ Daniel silently responded as he broke the staring contest and bit his tongue. He really needed to stop hanging around Jack.

Raphael was on a roll now. "You call yourself a scientist? You're nothing but a thief." He snorted in disdain. "And you think you are better than me. At least I have reasons for what I do."

"I don't doubt that," Daniel agreed, his tongue getting the better of him momentarily.

It was a mistake he would soon regret.

"Chalo," Raphael said, his eyes locked on Daniel still.

One of the men off to the side crossed behind Daniel's chair to another table covered in a tarp. Whipping it back he revealed a setup that made Daniel's blood run cold.

There were very few uses in the middle of the jungle for a car battery, jumper cables, and a lot of wiring after all.

It appeared Raphael's patience had run out and since the psychological effects of raping Janet hadn't worked, apparently the next step was to try a more physical approach.

The man touched the two leads together and the arcing electricity sizzled and spat as a shower of sparks rained on the ground.

Daniel instinctively turned away at the display and clenched his hands into fists.

He might not be special ops trained like Jack, but he'd faced down more than one pissed off Goa'uld with a hand device. _How much worse could this be?_ he wondered.

_A LOT_, the cynical side of his mind insisted. But he pushed it aside and began mentally preparing himself as best he could. He had no intention of doing anything to cause Janet or Bill to worry by screaming or something like that.

"Now here's something else you should not doubt, compadre," Raphael said as Daniel forced his eyes away from the battery and jumper cables and back to the man before him, the fear lurking in the back of his mind coming forth to coil in his stomach and tie it in knots. The butterflies already in residence didn't appreciate the suddenly close quarters and protested by trying to thrash free.

"You _will_ tell me what I want to know."

Knowing he couldn't talk his way out of this one without giving in—not in his grand plan of survival—he simply prayed that he'd survive long enough to see Janet one more time.

* * *

"The manner in which one endures what must be endured is more important than the thing that must be endured. " - Dean Gooderham Acheson 

Keaira


End file.
